‘Father figure’ Moyes hailed as having bigger impact on ‘keeper than Ferguson

At the beginning of his Manchester United tenure, David Moyes had a habit of saying “they” instead of “we”. It was a hint that the former Everton boss had not yet got his head around the fact that he had replaced arguably the greatest manager of all time; that the English champions were now his to mould and to inspire.

But that is no longer the case, with Moyes clearly growing into the role Ferguson believed he was ready for. And now a former Moyes player has revealed the impact he believes his ex-boss will soon have at Old Trafford.

Considering the American stopper also worked under Ferguson, that is quite a statement.

Referring to Moyes as a “father figure”, Howard also added, “He trusted me a lot but, with that trust and responsibility, I sometimes got the short end of the stick.

“The main thing is I always appreciated his honesty.”

Howard also believes that soon, United will be very much Moyes’ team, believing the six-year contract he was offered is vital to the development of both the boss and the players he has inherited and will ultimately bring in.

In other news, the man who could ease some of the pressure on United’s midfield following Michael Carrick’s injury setback is in the news again, with Scottish teammate Steven Naismith praising Darren Fletcher.

“I spoke to him just before he was going to play for United’s reserves and I think everyone is delighted for him.”

Having missed much of the last two seasons with ulcerative colitis, Fletcher is now back in training at Old Trafford, and after two successful reserve-team outings he could – ultimately – return to the starting XI for which he was once one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Vincent Ralph

After graduating with a degree in English Literature, Vincent completed a NCTJ-accredited qualification in newspaper and magazine journalism in 2005. He has worked for HITC for four years and is now Head of Editorial and Journalist Standards.